Memories of Dubois told by Albert Roxs
(Citizen of Eindhoven during WWII)
Let's take you back to The Netherlands, the city of Eindhoven in the early morning hours of
18th September 1944.
The people of Eindhoven had witnessed the start of Operation Market Garden through the
armada of allied planes over the city during lunch time the day before. (A beautiful sunny
Sunday). They had seen and had heard of the paratroopers jumping out of the planes just
North of Eindhoven near the little village of Son. They had heard artillery fire, grenades, and
rifles. They had witnessed Germans becoming nervous and more active.
They had no clue of the British 2nd Army yet, which was marching towards Eindhoven from
the South, out of Belgium where they had met with heavy German resistance. They had no
clue of two other allied divisions landing near the cities of Nijmegen and Arnhem nor did they
know about the magnitude of the Operation.
From what they had witnessed, the people of Eindhoven had seen a lot of commotion in their
city, but it was too early to tell if it was safe. Four years of occupation by a national-socialist
regime makes one very, very cautious. No celebrations yet, no Dutch flags or Orange colors
the national color of the Royal House of Orange), no music or dancing. A feeling of nervous
anticipation rules.
Let's take you to the Woenselsestraat 43 in Eindhoven in those early morning hours. Situated
on the outer Northern part of Eindhoven, on the through road from Son to the center of
Eindhoven where the Roxs family lives : father, mother and three children. Albert, one of the
children, is 11 years old. The Roxs' have a gas station and sell and repair fire places, stoves,
bicycles and motorcycles. With only the doctor and the pastor owning a car and gas hard to
come by, it had not been a luxurious life during the war years.
Yet, the Roxs' had never been hungry with father growing his own vegetables and tobacco in
a garden out back. Also, Father Roxs produced zinc pails, shovels and axes in his workshop
which were then traded for food with neighbouring farmers.
Albert (11) had witnessed the Germans pulling and pushing two 88 mm canons along their
street the evening before. The Germans, weary of the hard work, had conviscated a horse
from a nearby farmer in an attempt to lighten their task. Albert still remembers how none of
the Dutch people present helped the Germans when they saw that the Germans hadn't closed
the horse's harness in the front. The horse wouldn't pull because of it - despite the beatings it
got. Eventually, the Germans gave up and were working themselves in a sweat again.
Silent resistance.
That night, the Roxs' slept in their cellar. With their house in the North of Eindhoven, having
heard the artillery fire and having seen the Germans with their guns, this seemed the safest
thing to do. It stayed quiet until around 3.30 that night. Then, they heard the clickety clack of
the heavy German boots with iron plates on their heels.
Around 7.00 AM, the Roxs' heard another sound, close to the house. Those were different
boots they heard. Mother Roxs left the cellar and went to the window on the side of the house.
She opened it and, for the first time, she saw a soldier in an Allied uniform. The soldier
looked at her and said "GOEDEMORGEN", Dutch for "good morning".
What a surprise! How wonderful! A thousands thoughts at once!
An Allied soldier who speaks Dutch. "Please come in". The soldier introduces himself. His
name is DUBOIS. The Roxs' tell him all they know about the 88 mm and the Germans having
taken position in the school nearby.
DUBOIS and his (British) radioman go to the roof of the Roxs' house to try and get their
communication going. Later it became known that they had lost their equipment during the
jump. The radioman stayed. DUBOIS left after 15 to 20 minutes and returned briefly a couple
of times.
The brief meeting and interaction had made such an impression on Albert that he kept
searching for information over the years. The name DUBOIS had stuck in the mind of this
small boy of 11 who experienced war time, had lived briefly in the front line and had
celebrated his liberation of a tyrannic nation.
The research led him to the Jedburgh team called Daniel which jumped with the US 101st
Airborne Division, 506th PIR, HQ, into the fields near Son on 17th September 1944.
With the help of the Screaming Eagles of WWII Foundation, Albert learned the complete
war-time activities and the sacrifice of Abraham DUBOIS.
To honor this hero, we have compiled information on Abraham DUBOIS here. We invite the
reader to share more details.
- LEST WE FORGET -
And Albert? He has many more war memories to share.BACK